Dispensing container



April 5, 1967 K. R. PRAETORIUS 3,315,875

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Feb. 8, 1965 FIG. 2

FIG. 3

INVENTOR KARL RUDOLF PRAETORIUS A ORNEYS United States Patent 3,315,875 DISPENSING CONTAINER Karl Rudolf Praetorius, Nurnberg, Germany, assignor t0 Dynamit Nobel Aktiengesellschaft, Troisdorf, Germany Filed Feb. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 431,096 Claims priority, application Germany, Feb. 14, 1964, D 43,627 6 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) The present invention relates to a package, and more particularly to a packaging container or box that serves both as shipping and display container or box.

The usual shipping packages for containers, boxes, and similar articles adapted to be stacked, have parallelepipedic shape of rectangular or square cross section corresponding to the diameter of the containers or boxes and a length which is matched to a certain number of containers or boxes. The packages of the prior art are either closed along one of the longitudinal edges thereof; that is, can be opened only at the top or bottom, or they have a cover, projecting over one of the open longitudinal sides, which is folded along another longitudinal side and is adapted to be folded down. For the sale of the containers or boxes shipped within the package, the containers or boxes are taken out of the package and are stacked outside of the shipping package, for example, one above the other in display windows. Furthermore, display packages provided with a window are known in the prior art; for example, for biscuits, with which one can recognize the contents in the closed condition of the package.

The present invention is concerned with a package for stacked boxes, containers and similar articles adapted to be stacked in parallelepipedic form which permits exposing and ofiering for sale the containers or articles without removing the same from the package. The pack-age is therefore both shipping package as well as sales aid. The present invention essentially consists in that with a package of parallelepipedic shape for stacked boxes, containers and similar articles adapted to be stacked, top surface parts of the parallelepiped, which form the closure means for the shipping, and one side surface are perforated to enable tearing, the latter in a window-like manner. As a result of the tearing action, the shipping package becomes a display package and therewith serves as sales assist.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a package for boxes, containers, or similar articles adapted to be stacked which obviates the shortcomings encountered with the prior art constructions by simple means.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a shipping container for boxes or the like which serves simultaneously as shipping and display package.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a windowless package for containers, boxes, and similar articles adapted to be stacked which can be readily converted from a shipping container, without the need of windows in the package, into an arrangement serving for the display of the goods contained therein.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a package of the type described above which permits exposing and offering for sale the articles in the package without requiring prior removal of the articles.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which shows, in the several figures thereof, one embodiment in accordance with the present invention, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a package in accordance with the present invention, in the condition thereof in which it is used as shipping container;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view, similar to FIGURE 1, illustrating the pack-age in a stage preparatory to converting the same into a display package; and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view, similar to FIGURES 1 and 2, of the package of FIGURES 1 and 2 after the same is converted into a display package in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the various views to designate like parts, the package illustrated in all the figures has the known shape of a parallelepiped which is closed on all sides thereof for purposes of shipment. The closure at the top is constituted by the foldable parts 1 and 2 and by a top surface part 3 provided with a flap 4. The parts 1 and 2 are folded inwardly; the part 3 is placed over the folded parts 1 and 2, and the flap 4 is then inserted between the rear lateral surface 5 and the parts 2 and 3. The arangement so far described represents a known construction. According to the present invention, the folding edges 6 and 7 of the two closure parts 1 and 2 are perforated. Additionally, the forward side surface 8 is perforated at 9 in a window-like manner. The windowlike perforations 9 along the forward side surface 8 may be curved thereby along the upper part so as to merge smoothly with the edges 6 and 7. After opening of the package as shown in FIGURE 2, the two parts 1 and 2 are separated, e.g., torn off along the edges 6 and 7. Furthermore, by pulling at the flap 4, the window-like perforations 9 are torn open so that a package results as shown in FIGURE 3. The package is thereby converted into a display package, that is, into a sales aid; for the articles, containers, or boxes (not shown) normally shipped in the package are made clearly visible, are exposed to the public through the window 9 and can be removed in the upward direction.

While I have shown and described one embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it is understood that the same is not limited thereto but: is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as known to a person skilled in the art. Thus, the same shape as illustrated in FIGURE 3 can be obtained in that the foldable part 3 forms part of and is folded along the rear wall 5 so that the flap 4 comes to lie against the front surface 8. In that case, the folding edge 10 of the part 3 also has to be perforated in order that the flap 4 can be torn off by itself.

Thus, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to the details shown and described herein, but is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as known to a person skilled in the art; and I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described herein but intend to cover all such changes and modifications as are encompassed by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A package of parallelepipedic shape for stacked containers, boxes, and similar articles adapted to be stacked, comprising: a rectangular body having two opposed side walls, a front wall, a back wall, a bottom wall, and a top wall; said top wall including a front flap integrally hinged along a fold line void of perforations and continuously integral along its entire length to the top edge of said front wall; said front wall having a line of perforation defining the three sides of a tear-out front window and terminating at each end adjacent to each end of said front flap fold line, respectively; and said front flap being separate from said back and side walls forming pull tab means readily separable without rupture of side walls for tearing out said tear-out front window along said line of perforation.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said line of perforation extends substantially parallel, closely adjacent and generally uniformly spaced from the bottom and side edges of said front wall; and said line of perforation curves outwardly at each end to terminate at each of the corners formed -by said front wall, said top wall, and one of said side walls, respectively.

3. A package of parallelepipedic shape for stacked containers, boxes, and similar articles adapted to be stacked, comprising: a rectangular body having two opposite side walls, a front wall, a back wall, a bottom wall, and a top wall; said top wall including a front flap integrally hinged along a fold line to the top edge of said front wall; said front wall having a line of perforation defining the three sides of a tear-out front window and terminating at each end adjacent to each end of said front flat fold line, respectively; said front flap forming pull tab means for tearing out said tear out front window along said line of perforation; said line of perforation extending substantially parallel, closely adjacent and generally uniformly spaced from said bottom and side edges of said front wall; and said line of perforation curving outwardly at each end to terminate at each of the corners formed by said front wall, said top wall, and one of said side walls, respectively; said front flap fold line extending the entire length of said front wall top edge; said back wall having a free terminal top edge; said front flap extending substantially coextensively with the top of said package; and including a back flap integrally hinged to said front flap along a fold line at the back edge of said front flap to extend adjacent to said back wall in the assembled condition of said package.

4. A package of parallelepipedic shape for stacked co-ntainers, boxes, and similar articles adapted to be stacked, comprising: a rectangular body having two opposite side walls, a front wall, a back wall, a bottom wall, and a top wall; said top wall including a front flap integrally hinged along a fold line to the top edge of said front wall; said front wall having a line of perforation defining the three sides of a tear out front window and terminating at each end adjacent to each end of said front flap fold line, respectively; said front flap forming pull tab means for tearing out said tear-out front window along said line of perforation; said top wall including a side flap integrally hinged along a fold line to the top edge of each of said side walls; and each of said side flap fold lines being perforated along their entire length for easy tear-off removal of each of said side flaps.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said line of perforation extends substantially parallel to, closely adjacent to, and generally uniformly spaced from the bottom and side edges of said front wall; and said line of perforation curves outwardly at each end to terminate at each of the corners formed by said front wall, said top wall and one of said side walls, respectively.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein each of said side and front flap fold lines extend the entire length of their corresponding side and front top edges; said back wall has a free terminal top edge; said front flap extends substantially coextensively with the top of said package; and including a back flap integrally hinged to said front flap along a fold line at the back edge of said front flap to extend adjacent to said back wall in the assembled condition of said package.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 118,010 12/1939 Broderick 229-16 2,118,380 5/ 1938 Gresenz 206-57 2,249,244 7/ 1941 Guyer 22 951 2,944,124 7/ 1960 Arnold 206-.--56 3,148,824 9/ 1964 Foster et al 229-51 3,185,373 5/1965 Margulies 206-56 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,347,845 11/ 1963 France.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. D. T. MOORHEAD, Assistant Examiner 

1. A PACKAGE OF PARALLELEPIPEDIC SHAPE FOR STACKED CONTAINERS, BOXES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES ADAPTED TO BE STACKED, COMPRISING: A RECTANGULAR BODY HAVING TWO OPPOSED SIDE WALLS, A FRONT WALL, A BACK WALL, A BOTTOM WALL, AND A TOP WALL; SAID TOP WALL INCLUDING A FRONT FLAP INTEGRALLY HINGED ALONG A FOLD LINE VOID OF PERFORATIONS AND CONTINUOUSLY INTEGRAL ALONG ITS ENTIRE LENGTH TO THE TOP EDGE OF SAID FRONT WALL; SAID FRONT WALL HAVING A LINE OF PERFORATION DEFINING THE THREE SIDES OF A TEAR-OUT FRONT WINDOW AND TERMINATING AT EACH END ADJACENT TO EACH END OF SAID FRONT FLAP FOLD LINE, RESPECTIVELY; AND SAID FRON FLAP BEING SEPARATE FROM SAID BACK AND SIDE WALLS FORMING PULL TAB MEANS READILY SEPARABLE WITHOUT RUPTURE OF SIDE WALLS FOR TEARING OUT SAID TEAR-OUT FRONT WINDOW ALONG SAID LINE OF PERFORATION. 